Friday, April 14, 2017

The Opening of the Hutchinson River Ship Canal in 1895

Today's Hutchinson River, also known as Eastchester Creek, bears little resemblance to its original, bucolic, unaltered state. Reservoirs have been created along its length. Its lower portion has been straightened and dredged to the point that it would be unrecognizable to Pelham residents of the early to mid-19th century. During the early and mid-1890s, the merchants of Mount Vernon were clamoring for regular water transport to and from New York City at reasonable freight rates. Many in the coal, lumber, and stone businesses needed a reliable, cheaper way to move their products to and from New York City. With such considerations at play, the United States Army Corps of Engineers undertook yet another project to create the "Hutchinson River Ship Canal" so that goods could be moved between docks located in Mount Vernon and the City of New York.On March 24, 1894, a group of Mount Vernon men formed The New York & Mount Vernon Transportation Company. The company acquired a packet steamer, The Riverside, and began running "a steady and reliable water service between Mount Vernon and new York." According to one account, the service rendered:"an immense saving to the merchants of this city [Mount Vernon], by reason of the low freight rates charged. This company has a complete set of delivery trucks working in connection with their steamer, The Riverside, and all goods shipped via this line to Mount Vernon are delivered at the very door of the consignee at rates hitherto unknown prior to the establishment of this line. They also call at any point, residence or store, in Mount Vernon, for freight to be shipped via their line to New York free of charge for cartage."The Army Corps of Engineers worked to remove bouldersand deepen the channel so that there was twelve feet of clearance at high tide. The work was completed, at an expense of about $1,000,000, by early October, 1895.On October 3, 1895, Mount Vernon held a ceremony to mark the "formal opening" of the newly-improved Hutchinson River Ship Canal. The Mount Vernon Board of Trade arranged for its members and "many guests" to gather at the Mount Vernon docks at 9:00 a.m. that day. Attendees boarded two steamers: The Riverside and The Golden Rule. The two steamers steamed down the Hutchinson River into Eastchester Bay and proceeded to Fort Schuyler where they turned about and returned, reaching the Mount Vernon docks at 11:00 a.m.

Despite the celebration, Mount Vernon merchants and members of the Board of Trade were already thinking of the future. According to one report of the celebration, "the depth of the water is not sufficient to render it as useful as it might be made, it is proposed to ask Congress for another appropriation to deepen the canal to 15 feet at low water. At the present time there is only 12 feet at high water."

* * * * *"DEDICATED TO COMMERCE.-----Hutchinson River Ship Canal Thrown Open Formally.Mount Vernon, N. Y., Oct. 4. -- The new Hutchinson River Ship Canal, connecting this city with Long Island Sound, was opened yesterday in a formal way by the board of trade of this city.At 9 a.m. that organization, accompanied by many guests, boarded the steamers Riverside and Golden Rule at this end of the canal and slowly steamed down through the Hutchinson River to Fort Schuyler and returned, reaching here at 11 a.m.With this simple ceremony, the canal, which has cost $1,000,000, was thrown open to commerce.The improvements to the Hutchinson River and the construction of the canal has been made exclusively by the United States government."Source: DEDICATED TO COMMERCE -- Hutchinson River Ship Canal Thrown Open Formally, The Evening Times [Washington, D.C.], Oct. 4, 1895, p. 3, col. 4 (Note: Paid subscription required to access via this link)."THE WEEK. . . .The new Hutchinson River Ship Canal connecting Mount Vernon, N. Y., with Long Island Sound, was formally opened on October 3. The canal was constructed by the Government at a cost of $1,000,000. As it is found that the depth of the water is not sufficient to render it as useful as it might be made, it is proposed to ask Congress for another appropriation to deepen the canal to 15 feet at low water. At the present time there is only 12 feet at high water."Source: THE WEEK, The Iron Age, Oct. 10, 1895, p. 745 (NY, NY: David Williams, 1895)."NEW YORK & MOUNT VERNON TRANSPORTATION COMPANY.Mount Vernon's Packet Line, Established March 24, 1894.Through the efforts of a number of local capitalists and public spirited citizens, Mount Vernon is now a port of entry, owing to the improvement of Eastchester Creek, and the construction of docks near its head. The New York and Mount Vernon Transportation Company have constructed a dock of improved pattern 350 feet in length, fronting directly on South Third avenue, near the Kingsbridge road the dock property occupied by this company being exceptionally well located, and especially well adapted to the needs of the citizens of our city who desire to engage in the coal, lumber, stone and general manufacturing businesses. It has an available water front of 2,000 feet, together with a frontage on Third avenue of 650 feet, and about 650 feet frontage on the road leading to Lockwood's Bridge, thus enabling the lessees of the property to select sites fronting on the most direct macadamized thoroughfare leading to the heart of the city and fronting in the rear on the water with an established line furnishing direct water service to and from New York City.Parties are already availing themselves of this opportunity, as is shown by the fact that the David Stevenson Brewing Company has leased a portion of the property, for a term of years, and are erecting a combination refrigerator and warehouse as a central distributing station, for their celebrated ale and beer.The New York & Mount Vernon Transportation Company began business on March 24, 1894, in the face of numerous difficulties, and have since maintained a steady and reliable water service between Mount Vernon and New York, rendering an immense saving to the merchants of this city, by reason of the low freight rates charged. This company has a complete set of delivery trucks working in connection with their steamer, The Riverside, and all goods shipped via this line to Mount Vernon are delivered at the very door of the consignee at rates hitherto unknown prior to the establishment of this line. They also call at any point, residence or store, in Mount Vernon, for freight to be shipped via their line to New York free of charge for cartage.Their steamer, The Riverside, an illustration of which is here shown, is a staunch, roomy craft of large carrying capacity, and is also adapted for excursion parties. Thee public are beginning to recognize this fact, and as The Riverside is open for charter during the excursion season, it will become more and more in demand.Builders and merchants have profited very largely by the establishment of this line, building material of every description and merchandise of all kinds having been transported by this company at a great saving of money, time and trouble.The importance of having a water front and a prompt, reliable and cheap steamboat service, is inestimable, and our merchants and people generally should liberally patronize this company (a local enterprise, every dollar invested being owned in Mount Vernon), which has made this benefit possible.It is the determination of the gentlemen interested in this enterprise to continue the development and improvement of this service, and to leave undone nothing that money and push can secure in order to make the service all that their patrons can desire.The offices of the New York & Mount Vernon Transportation Company are in the Post Office building, in this city, and all communications addressed to them, care Lock Box 90, will receive prompt response."Source: NEW YORK & MOUNT VERNON TRANSPORTATION COMPANY -- Mount Vernon's Packet Line, Established March 24, 1894, Supplement to Mount Vernon Argus, May 30, 1895, p. 5, cols. 3-4. Archive of the Historic Pelham Web Site.Home Page of the Historic Pelham Blog.Order a Copy of "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak."

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About Me

Blake A. Bell is Town Historian and a member of the Town Council of Pelham, NY in Westchester County. He is a member of the Boards of Trustees of the Westchester County Historical Society (past member of the Executive Committee), and the Society of the National Shrine of the Bill of Rights at Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site (Chair). He served as the editor and publisher of the award-winning HistoricPelham.com Web site. He is the author of two books regarding the history of Pelham: (1) "Thomas Pell and the Legend of the Pell Treaty Oak" (iUniverse 2004); and (2) Town of Pelham's 350th Anniversary Celebration: Historian Blake Bell's Articles Published in The Pelham Weekly Plus Photos of Key Events (Pelham Weekly 2006). In addition, he is the author of more than 80 published articles on Pelham history and is a frequent speaker on matters relating to the history of Pelham and surrounding areas. Mr. Bell is Senior Knowledge Management Counsel with 850-lawyer Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in New York City.